The Weekend Post - Real Estate
BOTANIC BLISS AT RESORT
A new landscape rehabilitation project at Caravonica’s Botanica Lifestyle Resort offers green-thumbed residents the opportunity to participate at
A UNIQUE lifestyle in Cairns is available for over 50s in a secure gated community with a country club vibe.
From community gardens and edible flora streetscapes to beautiful native landscaping and the surrounding mountain range, Botanica is wrapped by nature on all sides.
Botanica Lifestyle Resort resident Jenny Brown cultivated her love of nature from a very early age.
Her passion for the natural environment was sparked by her mum’s love of gardening. Jenny recalls spending leisurely hours with her mum in the garden, tending to plants and watching them grow.
For Jenny, those cherished childhood memories developed into a lifelong connection with nature.
From those formative years in the garden with her mum to owning and managing a local gardening and landscaping business called Frog Friendly Gardening, Jenny believes the connection with nature is “so important”.
Her love of nature was just one of the reasons behind Jenny’s decision to move into Botanica, the over-50s lifestyle resort at
Caravonica.
Jenny’s belief in the restorative power of nature has entered a new phase with her involvement in an exciting project unfolding in the foothills of Botanica Lifestyle Resort aimed at rejuvenating a large section of previously neglected landscape.
Cheekily dubbed the “OVER The Hill” project – which stands for Occasional
Voluntary Ecological Restoration – Jenny and a group of Botanica residents will be assisted by local professionals to rehabilitate and revegetate the area.
Over the next few years, the project is set to include the removal of weeds, planting of over 3000 native trees, the installation of beehives, plus walking trails and seating areas and ongoing maintenance.
Jenny said her fellow Botanica residents could be involved in the project at any level, depending on what suits their interests and lifestyle.
She believes the project will be greatly rewarding, with residents being part of something that makes a real difference to the local environment.
“The over 50s residents bring with them a phenomenal amount of skills and knowledge to
support what I call ‘productive recreation’, that is, using your time in retirement to do things that have meaning and purpose,” Jenny said.
“The fact that this ‘OVER The Hill’ project is improving our environment and giving back to a planet that has given us so much, is a bonus.
“This project, like all ecological restoration projects, is never complete. Nature continues to evolve. This project will give pleasure to the residents at Botanica for many years to come and that’s what I hope to achieve.”
A range of other nature-based projects and initiatives are also under way at Botanica.
Residents will soon enjoy herbs and vegies from the raised planter boxes in the Botanica community garden for a true seed to table experience. They’ll also be able to grab some fresh eggs from the resort’s garden hens.
The Botanica community garden is designed for the exclusive use of residents, and complements the surrounding streetscapes of edible flora.
To find out more about Botanica Lifestyle Resort or arrange a personal tour call 1800 11 44 77 to make an appointment or visit www.botanicalifestyle.com.au